Final Word from Thursday, January 6, 2022
It's Jan. 17, and Honza comes back to the office after getting his mandatory antigen test. He plops down at his desk and tells his co-workers, "Whew, that was a close one. She wanted to send me home after I tested positive, but the boss just happened to walk by, and I told him we needed a few extra days for this urgent project he has us doing. I can't afford to be out for five days. He told her to retest me with one of those kits that always come up negative. So I'm home free, at least for now." Láďa, four times vaccinated and looking forward to the fifth, is not amused. He slips out of the office and reports the incident to the police. They come around and start counting used tests and swabs. They aren't sure if it's a violation of quarantine or of isolation, because they haven't studied the emergency order yet, but they know an organized attempt to spread a contagious disease when they see one. Health Min. Vlastimil Válek hears about it and thanks them for their valiant effort to stop omicron. [ Czech Republic testing companies firms TOP 09 ]
Glossary of difficult words
to plop (oneself) down - to sit or lie down gently but clumsily;
a close one - an escape that was almost not successful; used when something bad almost happens, but one manages to avoid it;
to be home free - having finished the difficult or dangerous part of an activity and sure of completing it successfully;
swab - a small piece of soft material used for cleaning a cut or for taking a small amount of substance from a body;
valiant - possessing or showing courage or determination.